Temperature control device for fluid based hyper/hypothermia systems

ABSTRACT

Temperature control device for use in fluid-based hyper/hypothermia systems, comprising a connection unit for connecting the device to a local power network, and a fluid temperature control unit for heating or cooling a fluid. The device includes a power supply unit, by which electrical consuming components of the fluid temperature control unit are supplied with power, and which effects supply of the electrical consuming components with direct current.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/441,603, which claims priority to German Application No. 10 2011 016508.8, filed Apr. 8, 2011, which are herein incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a temperature control device for use influid-based hyper/hypothermia systems.

BACKGROUND

A fluid-based hyper/hypothermia system is disclosed, for example, in DE696 34 572 T2. Fluid-based hyper/hypothermia systems that use atemperature-controlled fluid to raise the temperature of a human oranimal body, body part or organ to above the normal core bodytemperature or to lower it to below the normal core body temperaturerequire a temperature control device that provides atemperature-controlled fluid to accomplish the desired change in bodytemperature. The temperature of the fluid must be controlled in thetemperature control device in accordance with the quantity of heat to besupplied to or removed from the body. The fluid, for example, must beheated or cooled and then maintained at a predetermined temperature.

SUMMARY

In order to heat or cool the fluid in a temperature control device,energy is required that is provided as a general rule by the local powernetwork. Thus, a conventional temperature control device comprises apower supply which allows the temperature control device to be connectedto the local power network. Both the power supply as well as numerousindividual electrical consuming components of the temperature controldevice must be adapted to the local power network. Since there aredifferent local power networks in different regions of the world, theregion of the world in which the temperature control device isultimately supposed to be used and the specifications of the local powernetwork according to which the power supply of the temperature controldevice and the temperature control device itself have to be configuredmust, with a considerable amount of effort, always be taken intoconsideration when constructing a temperature control device forhyper/hypothermia applications.

Various embodiments of the invention simplify the construction of atemperature control device and provide a temperature control device forhyper/hypothermia systems that can be used in different regions of theworld. This aim is achieved by a temperature control device for use influid-based hyper/hypothermia systems, comprising: a connection unit forconnecting the device to a local power network; and a fluid temperaturecontrol unit for heating or cooling a fluid including a power supplyunit that supplies electrical consuming components of the fluidtemperature control unit with power, and supplies the electricalconsuming components with direct current.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a temperature control device according tothe invention.

FIG. 2 shows a further embodiment of the temperature control deviceaccording to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a temperature control device 1 for use in a fluid-basedhyperthermia or hypothermia system, according to embodiments of theinvention. As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 1 includes aconnection unit 2 for connecting the device to a local power network 3.In Germany, for example, the local power network is a generalalternating current (AC) network of 220/380 V at 50 Hz. In Japan, forexample, the local power network is an AC network of 100 V at, forexample, 60 Hz. And in the United States, for example, the local powernetwork is an AC network of 120 V at 60 Hz. These differences, and inparticular the differences in frequency of the local power networks,lead to differences in the leakage currents which result from the changeof the connected alternating current over time. For medical-technicalsystems in a surgical environment, the effects of electrical leakagecurrents, in the case for example of open heart surgeries, must remainminimal. To minimize these leakage currents, the electric lines inconventional temperature control devices must have certain insulations.This leads to increased material costs since, in particular, theinsulation can age and must then be replaced if the guidelines withrespect to the leakage currents are no longer met.

The temperature control device, according to the illustrativeembodiments of the invention, is connected to the power network 3 viathe connection unit 2 and can draw the power required to control thetemperature of the fluid from the power network.

The temperature control of the fluid is accomplished by means of a fluidtemperature control unit 4 which includes the components required forheating or cooling the fluid. These normally include a fluid container5, a heater 6, a cooler 7, a supply pump 8, a temperature sensor 9 and atemperature controller 10 (e.g., a microprocessor), each of which areshown in FIG. 1 merely in schematic form and as an example of thecomponents of the fluid temperature control unit 4. In this embodiment,the supply pump 8 works, for example, with a direct current motor andthe cooler 7 includes a direct current compressor. Also shown by way ofan example are pipelines 11, via which the pump 8 removes the fluid fromthe fluid container 5 and conveys it to the outside such that it can beused in the hyper/hypothermia system, or via which the fluid is conveyedout of the hyper/hypothermia system back into the fluid container 5. Thepump can also be provided in the hyper/hypothermia system such that itcan be omitted from the fluid temperature control unit 4 of atemperature control device 1 as according to the invention. Depending onthe hyper/hypothermia system in which the temperature control device 1is used, other components, such as a stirrer for the fluid in the fluidcontainer 5, may be added to (or omitted from) the fluid temperaturecontrol unit 4. According to various embodiments, each of the componentsshown in FIG. 1 may be of the type disclosed in DE 696 34 572 T2, whichis hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

To supply power to the electrical consuming components, for example, theheater 6, the cooler 7, the supply pump 8 and the temperature controller10, of the fluid temperature control unit of a temperature controldevice 1, a power supply unit 12 is provided according to the invention,via which all of the electrical consuming components of the fluidtemperature control unit 4 are electrically supplied with constantconnected loads irrespective of the local power network. According toembodiments of the invention, direct current is supplied, for example,with a supply voltage of 48 V and a power of up to 3.5 kW. Accordingly,the electrical consuming components of the fluid temperature controlunit 4 are supplied via the power supply unit and are, thus, notdirectly connected to the power network 3. Thus, these components neednot be designed for the local power network, but are instead allsupplied with direct current by the power supply unit 12. Differentelectrical consuming components can thereby be supplied with differentvoltages/powers which are provided by the power supply unit 12 accordingto the invention. This is indicated in FIG. 1 by the connections betweenthe power supply unit 12 and the fluid temperature control unit 4, whichare dashed at one end. The power supply unit 12 thereby performsadaptation to the local power network and conversion to a power supplywith constant connected loads.

The power supply unit thus performs any and all necessary conversions toadapt the temperature control device to the conditions of a local orregional power network. The adaptation to the local power network of theregion in which the device is to be used is achieved by an appropriatedesign of the power supply unit, which, on the side facing theconnection unit, must be designed for connection to the local powernetwork, but on the side facing the fluid temperature control unit, auniform power supply with direct current is ensured irrespective of thelocal power network.

The power supply unit may be any standard power supply (including, forexample, switched-mode power supplies) that provides (as standard) oneor more of the supply voltages required by the fluid temperature controlunit, so that the temperature of the fluid can be controlled. In thisway, the fluid temperature control unit is electrically separate fromthe local power network. As a result, an improved electrical decouplingof the fluid temperature control unit from the power network isachieved, which has a positive effect on use in hyper/hypothermiasystems, since network feedback and leakage currents can be reduced. Inview of the fact that medical-technical systems such ashyper/hypothermia systems are subject to particularly criticalspecifications, this decoupling of the fluid temperature control unitfrom the local power network that is achieved by the power supply unitis advantageous.

Supplying the electrical consuming components of the fluid temperaturecontrol unit with direct current enables more precise control duringoperation, since a precise power control for each individual electricalconsuming component can take place, for example, with the aid ofinverters. This is true not only for the heater/cooler of the fluidtemperature control unit, but also for the pumps which are generallyelectromotively driven. Overall, the improved controllability of thetemperature control device of the invention leads to a reduction ofnoise in a hyper/hypothermia treatment scenario.

FIG. 2 shows further embodiments of a temperature control device 1according to the invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 1additionally includes a battery 15 for supplying the electricalconsuming components of the fluid temperature control unit 4 with power.The battery 15 is connected to the power supply unit 12 and is chargedby this unit when the supply of power occurs via the power network. Inthis way, the battery 15 can supply power to the power supply unit 12 toensure delivery of a fail-safe supply of direct current to theelectrical consuming components even where the local power network issubject to fluctuations or failure. Thus, designing the temperaturecontrol device with direct current electrical consuming components makesit possible to ensure the continuous operation of the temperaturecontrol device in a surgical environment.

We claim:
 1. A temperature control device for use in fluid-basedhyper/hypothermia systems, comprising: a connection unit for connectingthe device to a local power network; and a fluid temperature controlunit for heating or cooling a fluid including a power supply unit thatsupplies electrical consuming components of the fluid temperaturecontrol unit with power, and supplies the electrical consumingcomponents with direct current.
 2. The temperature control deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit is a standard powersupply.
 3. The temperature control device according to claim 2, whereinthe power supply unit is a switched-mode power supply.
 4. Thetemperature control device according to claim 1, wherein the electricalconsuming components of the fluid temperature control unit comprise adirect current motor.
 5. The temperature control device according toclaim 1, wherein the electrical consuming components of the fluidtemperature control unit comprise a direct current compressor.
 6. Thetemperature control device according to claim 1, wherein the temperaturecontrol device comprises a battery for supplying the electricalconsuming components of the fluid temperature control unit, the batterybeing connected to the power supply unit such as to be charged by thepower supply unit or to supply the power supply unit.